Following a strategic plan can help you get a successful retail app.
Your retail app may not be able to compete with other more popular apps. However, there are many opportunities to make your retail app profitable. We all aim to create revolutionizing products, but we must always be prepared for the risk. In this post, you will see a list of recommendations on how to create a good retail app.
The best way to start a project is to find a problem. The problem does not have to be connected to a smartphone or an application – just think about the difficulties that people may have and how you can help them through the retail app. It is even better if there are problems that you personally encounter, as solving your own problems motivates you to work.
There are three key roles in the project: the first, which involves understanding how to create a product, finding a problem, and wanting to find its solution; the second, involves the responsibility for the technology and making the idea works on the device’s screen; and the third, which involves engaging users. If you can attract the right people to create your retail store app, you will take care of all of these roles in one swoop.
Make sure you don’t forget at some point to advertise your business model. Other common ways to monetize involve fees for downloading an application, providing a service for a paid subscription, and embedding in-app purchases. The latter accounts for most of the App Store revenue: by installing the app, you only pay for additional features. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the value of the product in the first place.
A cool name is a key point in the entire process. You should strive for something that will be associated with the functions of the application, which will sound fresh and have an emotional resonance. But above all, the name of the product should be simple. We live in times of high competition for attention, so your retail app idea should be as clear and understandable as possible.
Even if you don’t know how to program, there are tools like InVision and Proto.io that can help you in the prototype stage. Do not outsource this work – try to use the available tools yourself. Having some ideas about the software for graphic design, you can create a user interface. If you cope with this task, stick with the beginnings of the application. In this way, you can check the performance of your idea.
Do you know more than 50% of the population is utilizing eCommerce retail apps to experience hassle-free shopping? And, they only rely on a few brands to purchase stuff. Here, you have to create an amazing app prototype that is unique and hit the retail ground with its strong impact.
User feedback is important to understand exactly what you are creating and for whom. Make sure that you analyze the application from the very beginning because if you haven’t evaluated things objectively, you can miss something important. Become the most active user of your own application. If you do not try to use it, being in a state of anger, or on a daily basis, you will miss the key points.
After you start receiving positive user feedback (when you have confidence in your product and readiness to reach a wide audience), it’s time to launch the application in “soft” mode. Try to get a few hundred meticulous users – they will be the driving force of your product. As long as you are not convinced that the product is suitable for the existing market, and people like what you have created, there is no point in spending a lot of money on marketing.
Most of the app sales are from search results in app stores. Therefore, make sure that your application is displayed as high as possible. Making a list of keywords that can be associated with your application is a crucial step. It’s also important to maintain the brand identity at different sites so that users clearly understand what they are looking for and are not surprised by the search results.
At the initial stage of product development, it is better to stick to self-financing. But as soon as it comes to expansion, think about potential investors for your product. You can find investors from all over the world on the AngelList website. In addition, there are many incubators and accelerators: Seedcamp, TechStars, Wayra, Y Combinator, etc.
It is important to understand which product expansion method is best for you. The main focus should be on users. Continue to please people, maintain their interest, and stoke their desire to return to the product again and again.
Working with an application is the simplest and most logical function of a smartphone, and is an intuitive solution when the user has a need for information, for a financial transaction, or to purchase a product.
For example, in the morning I do not open the browser on a computer to start a search. I open an application with the news or weather, which is usually in a visible place on my home screen; I click on it intuitively. Such habits will sooner or later be reflected in how users make mobile purchases. Applications are the first thing that we see on the screen, so retailers should provoke in consumers the habit of using them.
Applications are converted about three times higher than mobile online stores. However, compared to creating a browser version of a site, a mobile application is expensive, which often stops retailers. Of course, no user will download hundreds of applications. And if he or she does, rarely used ones will be quickly deleted.
On an average, a person uses the 15 most popular applications with regards to weather, news, email, music, Instagram, fitness tracker, etc. In order to succeed, retailers need to create an application that can gain a foothold in the 15 icons on the screen. Unfortunately, most do not believe that this is possible. I argue: an app for shopping can be indispensable to users.
Commercial applications without additional features will quickly become boring to consumers. Users install and use applications of only those stores where they regularly make purchases. For example, I hate writing assignments and regularly buy essays on WritingCheap, but I do this only once every week or two. In this case, I do not necessarily need an application. Therefore, it is important for retailers to find ways to motivate users to download it and regularly return there.
Aparna is a growth specialist with handsful knowledge in business development. She values marketing as key a driver for sales, keeping up with the latest in the Mobile App industry. Her getting things done attitude makes her a magnet for the trickiest of tasks. In free times, which are few and far between, you can catch up with her at a game of Fussball.
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